Why does the Wolf initiate such anger?

One of the perks of retirement has been the ability to go to the movies and watch all the possible Oscar nominees.  I was moved by 12 years a Slave, Fruitvale Station, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyer's Club and American Hustle.  These movies have great moments of acting and direction.  They are all true stories also.  This is definitely the year of the TRUE story.  The racial perils that Oscar Grant (Fruitvale Station) faced in Oakland, California.  There was a definite parallel to shooting of Trayvon Martin and this summer's acquittal of George Z.  We were reintroduced to the early world of HIV in the Dallas Buyers club.  I had forgotten how difficult it was to obtain medicine for the patients infected in the 1980's. The Somali pirates in Captain Phillips were terrifying and yet we as an audience developed an understanding of their desperation even though they were terrorists.

American Hustle was loosely based on the ABSCAM case in New Jersey.  The FBI  basically entrapped several political figures in the late 1970's.  All the acting in this film is terrific. Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams deliver fantastic performances!  It was my favorite film yet.  I couldn't believe that fake comb-over that Christian Bale had!

By far the most appalling true story is the Wolf of Wall Street.  While watching the movie- I just kept thinking to myself- is this guy ever going to get caught?  The excess money,  drugs, sex, disregard for the working class people being scammed really hit me.  I thought the movie was about 40 minutes too long- but the fact was it was a true story and I do have to say that the quaalaud scenes brought back memories of some of my college pals.

Why did this movie cause to have physical anguish?  Maybe it was that 25 years ago there was a lesson to be learned from Jordan Balfour.  He wrote a book and admitted to all of his debauchery.  He confessed to how he convinced his clients to buy worthless stocks and pocketed all the commissions.  He had no empathy for the regular folks he was fooling. He went to jail for 22 months and played tennis- for Christ's sake. Have we not learned anything?  It seems that the crash of 2008 may have been caused by slightly different "Wolves", but the basic white-collar crime still had the same fallout- very few of these thieves were punished. I think Martha Stewart served a bigger sentence for insider trading.  Isn't this an embarassment? What does this say to the rest of the world?  If you are rich, and you cheat  people there is a very good chance that you will get away with it.  I think that Martin Scorsese wanted people to be retrospect by giving us all the visual excess in this movie.  I think that he is a brilliant director and historian- has anything really changed since the days of Tammany Hall (Gangs of New York)?

I can't wait to see Philomena, Nebraska and August Osage County. Also-  I thought Saving Mr. Banks was a lovely movie. I hope that Emma Thompson gets an Oscar nod.  We have had a wonderful year for films. Go see a movie!  Tell me what you think.  Momma T

What exactly is a furlough day?

I am not questioning the return of back pay for government employees after the recent shutdown.  I think that the employees deserve to get their back pay.  I just wonder why when teachers or other professionals are furloughed they do not ever get their back pay.

Isn't it stupid that the government shutdown was a vacation for the employees?  I do realize that they had to wait it out and this may cause them to have a financial set back, but they are getting pay for not working. 

I looked up the definition of the word furlough and of course it means something different for the military, but it indicates temporary layoffs in the civilian workforce.

Isn't it ridiculous that the government shut down stopped people from working and then paid them back?  Think about how far behind they are at their jobs.  It is just another stupid offshoot from our elected officials. 

What can we learn from a Movie?

I

The Captain Phillips Movie was really terrific.  It isn't for the faint of spirit.  It is so well-done that you actually feel like you were there in the middle of the hijacking. 

The thing that impressed me was that I actually was scared and yet somewhat sympathetic at the same time.

I knew the outcome of the situation-since this actually happened in 2009. 

 

I almost had a confrontation with the asshole that sat behind me because he kept making derogatory comments about the hijackers.  The whole point of this movie is that we as Americans can understand the abject poverty( that western nations have created) and what it forces some people to do.  I was thinking how can you watch this movie and not understand this!

 

Of course I do not advocate the use of force or pirating for profit- but if you have lost your livelihood, maybe we all can at least understand the reason why the pirates did this.  It also helps we Americans understand how we are perceived by others that are a lot less fortunate than we are.

 

 

This is the result of day 16 of the government shutdown!

Maybe I  am really suffering from cabin fever since I have a cast on my ankle and can't easily get outside.  My daughter was walking the dog yesterday and saw this sign by the community doggie waste basket.  I found it ha-lar-ious!

In case you can not read the whole message it says-  YOU UNCONSIDERATE LAZY ASS!
I guess it was to much to bend down and pick up after your big DOG!(mess) Do better next time I'm Watching!!!

Now what part of this reminds you Ted Cruz and the tea party?  Is it the exemplary grammar?  Is it the paranoid threats?  Does it make you feel better that regular people are just as big babies as Congress?

Thanks to my  neighbor for making me laugh today!  Congress supposedly made a deal while I was researching this important blog.  We will see if they finally have graduated to the kindergarten level!

Momma T

Affordable Health Care Act

There is probably no single issue that is more controversial today than the Affordable Health Care Act or Obama care. I really have tried to understand the ramifications of this bill that the House of Representatives has tried over 40 times to dismantle.  It is mystifying to me that people that really need affordable health care and complain about how expensive health care is are against this plan.

I am a retired educator.  My monthly check deduction for health insurance is $341.  My dental insurance deduction is $110. This means that 18% of my net income is used to pay for medical insurance.  Now that would be OK, if the insurance company actually paid the bills when I need to use the doctor, but sadly that is not the case.  For example- I recently had a small mole removed for analysis.  The results came back that it was abnormal, so I had a larger sample removed and analyzed.  I spent over $200 of my own money because my "deductible" hadn't been used up yet.  My deductible is $4000 per year.  I spend over $5000 per year on monthly medical insurance payments.  This means that technically my medical bills will not cover me fully until I have spent over 28% of my total annual income on medical bills.  I do not consider this to be affordable health care.  I am insured and I always have been insured.  I have put thousands of dollars out there over the last 31 years that have not been used.

I recently was hit by a car while bicycling and had to be put in a ambulance to go to the emergency room.  I am truly terrified to get the medical bills from this because I think this will be considered as out of network and then not count as part of my individual deductible. This will then be all my cost.  I also visited an orthopedic doctor after and she wanted me to get an MRI, because there is definitely more to the injury.  I decided not to go, simply because I can't afford to pay for an MRI.  My daughter had one earlier this year and my out of pocket cost was over $400. 

I guess the point I am trying to make is even when you do everything you are supposed to do.  You go to yearly checkups and floss, you  work thirty one years for the same employer, medical issues can
sideline you.  I am lucky to be relatively healthy.  I have several friends that spend 30-40% of their net salary on medical care because they have diseases like Type 1 Diabetes I or Chron's Disease.
I am not even discussing the people I know that work for themselves and can't afford health care. 

Georgia practically opted out of the Affordable Health Care Act.  Doesn't it make sense that if more people are paying into the system that care would eventually be more affordable?  I don't think that medical issues should be political.  People should be able to go to the doctor and not be afraid of the bill.  I try to read the paper each day and understand where all this is going and I am at a loss.  Help!

Go Gaga

If you didn't see Lady Gaga on WWHL the other night-do yourself a favor watch it on line.  It is definitely worth your time.  Cheers to Lady G for her frank, honest comments.  You all know how much I love Andy!  I know that Lady Gaga will receive media attention for her frank comments on taking the drug Molly- but I applaud her honesty and she did say that she wouldn't encourage anyone to do this drug.  I also liked when she was asked to discuss harmful comments made towards her that she wouldn't name anyone because that would give them acknowledgement as a celebrity.  I thought she was really classy and it made me like her even more.  GO GAGA!

The "Real" NJ Drama

 

It is painful to read about Teresa and Joe's indictment drama.  It is difficult to take a side because I think that even if they did something wrong with their tax statements- take a look at them.  They aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.  They have allowed their family to be filmed throughout the beginning of their days in their mansion.  Who can forget Joe giving Teresa 100K to spend on furniture.  She took us on the journey on television from season one until now.  We saw the moving into the mansion, the first housewarming, the famous flipping of the table, a tug of hair, a lavish Christmas, bankruptcy, a scaled down Christmas, a family split and a family on the mend.  Do we really need to put these two in jail?  I think they have been the most real of the Housewife franchises and the judge should be able to just view the tapes.

I agree that falsifying tax documents is wrong.  Can't they be given a chance due to their obvious lack of knowledge about most things that involve common sense.  Don't get me wrong here- I love the Guidice's, but they really shouldn't be accused of a crime such as this and actually serve time in jail.  I just read about the big banks like Goldman Sach's settling for a suit in which they didn't have to admit any wrong doing in the financial debacle with the mortgage industry and they had to pay half a billion dollars in a settlement.  That is equal to about three days of a year's profits.  It is sad that there is such inequity in our legal system. 

Come on judge- give the Guidice's a break.  They are our favorite guilty pleasure and they have four cute little girls.  They clearly were not smart enough to hide anything, since they flaunted their riches right in front of America.  They need to pay back they money they owe.  I guess we will have a few more cook books out after this.  Just my thoughts.....